strange cult but simply Christians that didn’t separate their everyday lives from their faith?
She glanced at her watch. They had been out there for almost thirty minutes.
Taking a sip of tea that had been made for her, Amber blew out a long breath. If her grandmother couldn’t make Phillip see how important having a home birth was for an Amish woman, Amber didn’t know who could. She glanced out the window again and saw the rocker was empty. Her grandmother and Phillip were nowhere in sight.
“Is he your boo-friend? ” Lilly, the youngest cousin asked.
Turning her attention back to the three girls ranging in age from seven to twelve who were seated around the table with her, Amber shook her head. “No. He is most definitely not my boyfriend.”
The girls were like stair-step carbon copies of each otherwith blond hair, inquisitive blue eyes and ready smiles for the English cousin they rarely saw.
“Mammi Fisher fears you will become en alt maedel. Will you?” Ruth, at twelve, was in charge of her younger sisters while their parents and brothers were gone.
Amber summoned a smile. Trust kids to ask the most embarrassing questions. “If I find the right man, I’ll get married someday.”
“Are there no good English men? My friend Kara’s dat needs a new wife. Kara’s mamm died last year. Kara has only four brothers and sisters.” Ruth looked hopeful.
“Please tell Kara I’m sorry for her loss but I’m not interested in getting married right now. Besides, I’m not Amish. Kara’s dat would not marry me.”
“Mammi says you could be Amish if Gott wished it.” Rhoda, the nine-year-old, left the table to check on the roast simmering in the oven. The mouthwatering smells of perfectly seasoned beef with roasting carrots and onions filled the kitchen and set Amber’s stomach rumbling.
She said, “I believe I’m following the path He has chosen for me.”
The door opened and Betsy came in, followed by Phillip. He had three large pans full of snapped beans stacked in his arms. Amber jumped up to help him by taking one. “This is the trouble with visiting my family. They find work for everyone.”
“I don’t mind. I can add bean snapper to my résumé now.” He was smiling and seemed less tense than he’d been at the start of this journey.
After helping him set his burdens on the counter, Amber showed him where to wash up, then waited for him in the living room.
When he returned, she gestured to an empty chair. “Was my grandmother able to answer your questions?”
“She’s a very wise woman. Do you know she is worried about you? She wishes you lived closer to home so she could see you more often.” There was a touch of longing in his voice that Amber didn’t understand.
“I know she worries about me. She doesn’t understand I have my work and I love what I do. The Amish view being a wife, a mother and a helpmate to her husband as the only roles for women. Has she helped you see how important my work is?”
“She gave me a lot to think about.”
The sound of a buggy coming into the yard sent the girls scurrying outside to help. Amber and Phillip were soon engulfed in introductions as she presented her mother’s youngest sister, Maryanne, and her stoic husband, Tobias. While he and his two teenage boys stayed to visit with Phillip, it was easy to see they weren’t entirely comfortable with an outsider in their home. When the conversation lagged, Amber leaned over and whispered to Phillip, “Do you like baseball?”
He gave a slight nod.
“So does Tobias,” she said with a nod in his direction.
Giving her a thankful wink, Phillip straightened on the sofa and asked, “How do you think the Cleveland Indians will do this year?”
Tobias’s face turned bright red. His oldest son sat forward in his chair. “Their pitching staff is deep and they can field a ball. I think they’ll do well this year.”
“Nee.” Tobias shook his head. “They’ve got good hitters but no
She glanced at her watch. They had been out there for almost thirty minutes.
Taking a sip of tea that had been made for her, Amber blew out a long breath. If her grandmother couldn’t make Phillip see how important having a home birth was for an Amish woman, Amber didn’t know who could. She glanced out the window again and saw the rocker was empty. Her grandmother and Phillip were nowhere in sight.
“Is he your boo-friend? ” Lilly, the youngest cousin asked.
Turning her attention back to the three girls ranging in age from seven to twelve who were seated around the table with her, Amber shook her head. “No. He is most definitely not my boyfriend.”
The girls were like stair-step carbon copies of each otherwith blond hair, inquisitive blue eyes and ready smiles for the English cousin they rarely saw.
“Mammi Fisher fears you will become en alt maedel. Will you?” Ruth, at twelve, was in charge of her younger sisters while their parents and brothers were gone.
Amber summoned a smile. Trust kids to ask the most embarrassing questions. “If I find the right man, I’ll get married someday.”
“Are there no good English men? My friend Kara’s dat needs a new wife. Kara’s mamm died last year. Kara has only four brothers and sisters.” Ruth looked hopeful.
“Please tell Kara I’m sorry for her loss but I’m not interested in getting married right now. Besides, I’m not Amish. Kara’s dat would not marry me.”
“Mammi says you could be Amish if Gott wished it.” Rhoda, the nine-year-old, left the table to check on the roast simmering in the oven. The mouthwatering smells of perfectly seasoned beef with roasting carrots and onions filled the kitchen and set Amber’s stomach rumbling.
She said, “I believe I’m following the path He has chosen for me.”
The door opened and Betsy came in, followed by Phillip. He had three large pans full of snapped beans stacked in his arms. Amber jumped up to help him by taking one. “This is the trouble with visiting my family. They find work for everyone.”
“I don’t mind. I can add bean snapper to my résumé now.” He was smiling and seemed less tense than he’d been at the start of this journey.
After helping him set his burdens on the counter, Amber showed him where to wash up, then waited for him in the living room.
When he returned, she gestured to an empty chair. “Was my grandmother able to answer your questions?”
“She’s a very wise woman. Do you know she is worried about you? She wishes you lived closer to home so she could see you more often.” There was a touch of longing in his voice that Amber didn’t understand.
“I know she worries about me. She doesn’t understand I have my work and I love what I do. The Amish view being a wife, a mother and a helpmate to her husband as the only roles for women. Has she helped you see how important my work is?”
“She gave me a lot to think about.”
The sound of a buggy coming into the yard sent the girls scurrying outside to help. Amber and Phillip were soon engulfed in introductions as she presented her mother’s youngest sister, Maryanne, and her stoic husband, Tobias. While he and his two teenage boys stayed to visit with Phillip, it was easy to see they weren’t entirely comfortable with an outsider in their home. When the conversation lagged, Amber leaned over and whispered to Phillip, “Do you like baseball?”
He gave a slight nod.
“So does Tobias,” she said with a nod in his direction.
Giving her a thankful wink, Phillip straightened on the sofa and asked, “How do you think the Cleveland Indians will do this year?”
Tobias’s face turned bright red. His oldest son sat forward in his chair. “Their pitching staff is deep and they can field a ball. I think they’ll do well this year.”
“Nee.” Tobias shook his head. “They’ve got good hitters but no
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